Nocturne
by pinkhearts
Summary: Mostly character exploration for now, Light is out of confinement and working with L. Some humor, suspense, drama. Rated for language. Open to suggestion. Probably RaitoxL.


Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, Takeshi Obata and Tsugumi Ohba do. This will probably turn out shounen ai/yaoi, so don't read if you disagree with that stuff. Rating will go up. _  
_

Third person narrative, italics are Raito's inner dialogue, quotations are spoken dialogue. This story takes place 3 days after Lights confinement, and for the most part, follows the story.

_'Panic at the Disco'_

L lead Raito down the hallways, slouching, walking with the slow gait of someone not really knowing where he was going. Warm lamp light and carpet turned to concrete floors and a harsh fluorescence as they moved through various doors and staircases. Raito, stayed silent. He focused on keeping the chain at an adequate slackness, a task that seemed to take all of his attention to achieve.

They hadn't spoken since L had stood up from his computer and declared they needed to get things from storage. The investigation team had left hours ago.

_...Ignore it, its not awkward, he doesn't care...you don't have to say anything, watch the chain, look puzzled, look at the walls, look at the chain, speed up, the silence isn't weird the silence is fine, look at the... _

"Ah!"

Raito had walked into L as he stopped abruptly.

"Ah...sorry"

Raito said breathlessly, immediately becoming very aware of sound of his voice reverberating down the hallway, tense and high pitched.

"Sorry Raito-kun. . . are you feeling well?"

"Am I feeling well??? Yeah I'm fine"

He managed to blurt out.

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck _

It was nothing, but it was too much for Raito, who had for the last three days been subjected to more discomfort embarrassment and pain than most people experience in their lifetimes.

_Shit_

His chest tightened, he couldn't breath, all thoughts fled from his head and he was left feeling like he had been suddenly pulled from water, the chill of the dim hallway hit him like a wall, he wanted to wrap his arms around himself and sit on the floor, he wanted relief, he wanted to cry. He wanted to go home. He was terribly, awfully alone. His heart raced as he stood very still, hands clenched as he tried to control his breathing. The anxiety that had been building for the last three days, fell all over Raito like L's sugar cubes on the edge of his cup. For Raito, everything slowed down, and a void opened somewhere beneath his feet, he was going to fall. He was going to fall.

_FUCK. I can't do this now. Nothing is wrong, everything is okay, there is no reason to be upset, there is no reason to feel like this, you are fine. your fine your fine your fine. My face is probably red. Just stand still, breath, breath, breath, breath. _

"Raito you are very pale. Your hands are shaking."

Raito took a deep breath and brought his hand to his forehead, shifting his feet, trying to relax his posture. He dropped his hand.

He didn't dare speak.

He let himself lean against the wall. Raito hadn't felt like this in a very long time. He hadn't felt like this since he had lost him mother on the subway platform when he was seven. For a few minutes he stayed leaning against the wall, not really caring what L thought of it, waiting for the floor to return under his feet. After a few moments, Raito managed to coax himself into calming a little.

L, with pursed lips, probably chewing his cheek, bowed his head slightly; casting a shadow over his eyes. He looked older. Somehow he looked sympathetic, serious.

"Raito, your not well, do you want to go back?"

Raito loosened his jaw.

"No."

He was almost angry. He was confused, wanting to make up for his seemingly inexplicable mini break-down, he forced his voice to sound firm and controlled. Exactingly, he knocked himself back into standing. Dragging his eyes upward his frustration lessened a little as saw the look on L's face.

"Good, because I don't want to waste time."

_Oh_

Light watched with narrowed eyes and open mouth as L moved forward to open the large dark blue door beside them. A large bundle of keys attached to a long lanyard jangled in L's hand as he twisted the handle around. A vague thought floated onto the top of the large pile in Ratio's mind.

_Where the fuck did he get those keys. What the fuck are we doing. I fucking hate this bastard. _

If Raito hadn't given up on being intelligent, proud and sane months ago, he would have been shocked at his current behaviour. He had never sworn so much or been as awkward and confused in his entire, rather short life.

------------------------------------------

Raito's head was full yet again of mish mashed thoughts and general tension of a stressed out teenager. Except now it was a mixture of clamourous voices of embarrassment over his stupid, stupid episode.

_Oh, err, where is L?_

L had moved through the heavy industrial door some moments ago, blue buzzing light was now seeping round the edges of the frame and into the hall at Raito's feet. The chain tugged Raito around the door into the room where he stopped, apprehensive. Rows of guns, ammo, cash, riot gear and assorted canisters and black canvass bags lined the room, neatly stacked on floor ceiling steel shelves. The small room held enough equipment to outfit 100 men. Stunned, Raito's feet moved without thinking after L, who was edging around shelves looking through boxes and small, metal briefcases that Raito had only seen used in movies.

"Ryuzaki... what on earth..."

"Are you really surprised, Raito-kun? We are dealing with someone who may quite possibly be the most prolific killers in human history."

Raito felt it best not to push the matter, L was, he supposed, allowed pretty much free reign by the Japanese government. If the crazy bastard wanted to keep...

_...Oh my god, are those rocket launchers?_

L seemed to have found what he was looking for; he clutched in one hand two very new looking Berettas and in the other several wads of cash pulled from an adjacent open bag.

"Here."

L shoved the cash toward Raito, who fumbled it against his chest. Digging through the bag he pulled out two magazines and loaded each pistol carefully. Raito watched as L, slightly stunned at the practised way L handled the guns in his usual, awkward way of doing things.

"These are for us, to keep upstairs, and no, you don't have to touch or use them. Although rest assured, I certainly will be if the time arises."

Raito didn't really have a response for the detectives slightly sinister statement, so he kept his mouth shut and adjusted the money. L shoved both guns into his back pockets and moved past Raito toward the door.

"Um, Ryuzaki, where is Watari?"

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Authors note  
In case you can't tell what is going on...  
Raito has been chained to L for three days, its after hours and the investigation team has been gone for a while, leaving Raito alone with L. Raito is very wound up and he suddenly feels very alone and scared as they move to an unknown area of the building. Raito panics for no reason and L acts like a jerk.

Next chapter shouldn't take too long, I finish school very soon for Christmas so I'll have lots of free time. Please leave suggestions/critiques/reviews if you want. I don't have a set plan of where this is going, so your comments will probably have a strong influence on the direction of the story :)


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